Amid the tumult of Greek debt negotiations – the EU’s “Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality” has proposed imposing bizarre new measures to encourage more women to stay in science and technical careers, citing a “glass ceiling” holding back their advancement. It will surprise absolutely no one the measures reek of misguided political correct
Some of the measures include “diversity lessons in schools” so “children learn that they are equal in every aspect of their lives”. The committee also recommends forcing employers to seek out female candidates, even if none apply for the job: “Active recruitment of women (seeking potential candidates when women do not apply for a post), particularly for senior positions.”
In addition, the report appears to suggest that women pretend to be stupid because men stereotype them. It says: “Stereotypes make women believe they are less likely to succeed in their career than their male counterparts or that they are less competent, which indeed makes them act as being less competent.”
It then goes on to make sweeping generalisations about men, saying: “women are more likely than men to be in cross-gender mentoring relationships”, it is therefore necessary to “put strict policies in place in order to prevent sexual harassment”.
This is the sort of political correctness which led to Nobel-Prize winning scientist Tim Hunt being dismissed from his position in University College London, over a joke he made about women in laboratories. He said: “Three things happen when they are in the lab; you fall in love with them, they fall in love with you and when you criticise them, they cry.” Predictably, it sparked manufactured outrage from feminists and social justice warriors who can scapegoat Professor Hunt for the lack of women in science careers, and to suggest misogyny runs rampant in science.
Yet, the PC-brigade and feminists cannot help but patronise women – suggesting they are incapable of making free choices, or they can be put off from pursuing a career because of old-fashioned remarks from an old man. As ever, the solution the PC-brigade proposes is state intervention on women’s behalf to enforce their notion of “equality” in the workplace – rather than letting the market run freely.
Their method of identifying a vulnerable group to champion and protect – scientific women – actually debases them, treating women as helpless ‘damsels in distress’ who need the State to look after them. This is what we are seeing from this report – it makes no secret of it: “institutional changes are needed in order to overcome the barriers to gender equality”.
The report proposes bringing more “equality” legislation to the statute books. However, the proposals as they stand are calling for anything but equality. In addition it states employers should “providing adequate childcare services” to support a female employee’s decision to give birth or adopt a child – even quality crèches at work must be provided at the employer’s expense. It is questionable (to say the least) whether such policies would actually put women on an equal footing with men. On 8 September when the report will be put to a vote in the European Parliament, we will know whether Brussels intends to go ahead with these proposals.
There is enough enforcement of political correctness already – in the media, higher education, and the workplace – without the EU ramming it down everyone’s throats. This is all the more reason to Get Britain Out.
Alan Murad is a research executive at Get Britain Out
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